Marvel's "Moon Knight" is here, with a pair of personalities and a very cool suit.
The first episode is full of twists and turns, but it's the ending that
reveals the most about Moon Knight and his foes. Warning: spoilers ahead.
Steven Grant is a man tormented by a situation that he doesn't fully understand,
and he tries to control his tendency to wander around while he's unconscious with
a number of DIY tricks. It's clear that this has been going on for a long time,
and "Moon Knight" Episode 1 is when everything finally changes.
As the first episode nears its end, Steven gets to peek behind the veil
when he discovers physical evidence of another personality's existence,
tucked away in a hidey-hole in his apartment. The cell phone he discovers is a particularly
important find because it introduces viewers to multiple potentially important characters.
Shortly after discovering the old phone, Steven gets a call. On the other end, an unfamiliar
woman named Layla has been trying to reach a man named Marc for what appears to be weeks.
"Who do you think I am?"
"What do you mean 'who'? What's wrong with you, Marc?"
Layla might very well turn out to be the MCU version of Marc's
romantic interest in the comics, Marlene. The other name in the missed calls list, DuChamp,
is also very interesting. DuChamp is almost certainly "Frenchie" DuChamp,
Marc's old mercenary friend and ally in the comics.
It remains to be seen whether his name is a simple Easter egg or a tease of the character's on-screen
debut. Still, the fact that he exists in the MCU implies that Marc and Frenchie's old mercenary
boss and Moon Knight's arguably greatest enemy, Raoul Bushman also lurks somewhere in the world.
While Marc's formidable nemesis seems like the kind of character the MCU might want to
save for "Moon Knight" Season 2 or even a movie, fans will no doubt welcome this
low-key confirmation that Bushman might make an appearance at some point down the line.
In the comics, Moon Knight's various personalities often converse with each other,
and Khonshu is fond of making physical appearances in all his bird skull-headed glory.
It's a pretty wild concept for a live-action show, and indeed, "Moon Knight" episode 1 makes it clear
that the series intends to keep such interactions at a relatively muted "voices in his head" level.
During a mid-episode chase scene,
F. Murray Abraham's Khonshu establishes himself as a pestering presence that mostly uses his
booming voice to express exasperation over Steven's lack of mercenary prowess.
"Ugh. The idiot's in control."
While the discovery of Marc's phone finally clues Steven into the fact
that he shares his body with another identity,
it also spirals his life further into disarray. His existence is suddenly all about Marc talking
to him through mirrors and Khonshu manifesting in front of him in dramatic, horror movie fashion.
Though these experiences are obviously no fun for Steven, the mirror dialog is an effective visual
technique that translates the identities' comic book conversations to the live-action medium.
Meanwhile, Khonshu's ominous, stalking hallway appearance is at complete odds with the almost
flippant way the character's disembodied voice converses with Steven earlier in the episode.
This gives the viewer a glimpse of the character's unpredictable, otherworldly
nature, as well as the moon god's tendency to ignore the mental well-being of its avatar.
It becomes clear very quickly that Moon Knight's primary nemesis, Arthur Harrow,
is more than a small-time cult leader with a penchant for filling his shoes with ground glass.
Not only does the villain have the powers of Ammit, an Egyptian goddess of justice,
but the cult he leads has also infiltrated all levels of society.
This is revealed when Harrow confronts Steven in the British Museum.
"You really do work here. I'd assumed that Steven Grant was
an alias. Imagine my surprise to find you here."
Yet, the security guard, whom Steven knows and who's clearly been at the museum for a while,
is a full member of Team Ammit. This fact is confirmed when the guard reveals a scale tattoo
on his arm, similar to the one Harrow possesses. It means that the guard has been at the museum
for reasons that have nothing to do with Steven, which in turn implies one of two things. Either
Harrow placed the guard there for an entirely unrelated purpose, or his cult is simply so
formidable that he has followers everywhere. Considering the museum's vast Egyptology
department with a vast collection of Ammit-themed artifacts, the placement of the guard doesn't
seem accidental. And when Harrow proceeds to outright state that his plans for the world
will cause millions of deaths, it becomes clear that he's a global threat. While it
remains to be seen just how widespread the Cult of Ammit is, this version of Arthur Harrow is
definitely a far more powerful and dangerous man than the mad doctor from the comics.
As Harrow's summoned jackal creature corners Steven in the museum bathroom and starts punching
its way through the heavy doors, it's clear that the beast's strength matches its supernatural
creepiness. Fortunately, a panicked mirror conversation between Steven and Marc convinces the
timid Brit to yield control of their shared body just as the creature bursts through the doors.
"Steven. Steven, I can save us. But I can't have you fighting me this time."
What follows is yet another scene straight out of a horror movie, at least for the jackal.
Moon Knight completely and utterly overwhelms and destroys the beast,
ignoring its feeble attempts to defend itself and taking it down with a few brutal attacks.
This short scene ends the episode with a punch, literally.
And while it gives viewers the first good look at the awesome Moon Knight costume,
it also offers a sample of something even more interesting, the character's powers.
Moon Knight's strength is all over the place in the comics, to put it mildly.
Sometimes, he's just a well-trained guy with some gadgets and kevlar. Other times,
he commands a vast array of superpowers that allow him to take down the Avengers all by himself.
As such, it's interesting to see where on this sliding scale the MCU character lands.
Based on the fact that he effortlessly defeats the superpowered jackal creature,
it's clear that he's no weakling. There's no telling what he can do when he unleashes his
weapons and really lets loose, but we have a sneaking suspicion that future episodes
of "Moon Knight" will shed plenty of light on his true power level.
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